cycling infrastructure – Bicycles Network Australiahttps://www.bicycles.net.au
The Top Australian Cycling PortalMon, 19 Mar 2018 07:45:01 +0000en-UShourly1NSW Government Pedals up the Wrong Street with Bike Lawshttps://www.bicycles.net.au/2016/03/nsw-government-peddles-up-the-wrong-street-with-bike-laws/
https://www.bicycles.net.au/2016/03/nsw-government-peddles-up-the-wrong-street-with-bike-laws/#commentsMon, 29 Feb 2016 23:26:47 +0000https://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=14865Today, March 1, 2016 marks the introduction of new bike laws which see infringements for cyclists skyrocket 500% as well as regulating the minimum safe passing distance for motor vehicles passing bike riders. The requirement that bike riders carry ID has been pushed backed one year. These news laws are the brainchild of MP Duncan Gay who […]]]>

Today, March 1, 2016 marks the introduction of new bike laws which see infringements for cyclists skyrocket 500% as well as regulating the minimum safe passing distance for motor vehicles passing bike riders. The requirement that bike riders carry ID has been pushed backed one year. These news laws are the brainchild of MP Duncan Gay who is the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight with the New South Wales Government, but he has also been vocal in the media against bike riders, calling for a ban on cyclists on certain roads and acting against the recommendations of his own department.

At face value, the new laws appear to be logical. Fines for bike riders not wearing helmets increase from $71 to $319 and riding through a red light raises from $71 to $425. Duncan Gay says, “With cycling injuries ­remaining high in NSW, I had no choice but to look at tougher deterrents and ­increased enforcement to improve safety for cyclists and other road users like pedestrians. Being a responsible road user is not negotiable.”

The minimum safe passing distance, 1 metre distance with speeds up to 60kmh and 1.5m in areas faster than 60kmh has been welcomed by cyclists and advocacy groups.

But there are significant problems which the NSW Government has not addressed and global press called out Sydney (as the capital of NSW) for its draconian anti-cycling laws. Local cycling advocacy groups, BicycleNSW and Bike Sydney have been joined by Bicycle Network Victoria in condemning and protesting the new laws because ‘evidence’ has not been provided to back-up the laws, cyclists and advocacy groups fear a long-term decline in cycling.

MP Duncan Gay and his department have been pressed for evidence as justification that the changes will have the intended effect of improving cycling safety, however they have failed to deliver. Bernard Carlon, the Executive Director of the Centre for Road Safety says, “55% of serious injury cycling crashes happen at intersections, so it’s really important that bike riders and motorists don’t run red lights. Bike riders who don’t wear helmets are suffering severe head injuries at twice the rate of those that do.”

Mr Carlon and the department however are not providing any details on these stats, for example the percentage of these intersections which had traffic lights, the percentage of bike riders who were not wearing helmets and the percentage of bike riders who were at fault. Statistics from developed nations show that in collisions of cars with bikes, drivers are at fault in 80 per cent of the cases. This is confirmed by a study by the Adelaide University’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research which showed that drivers were at fault in 79 per cent of crashes and cyclists 21 per cent. (source)

Researcher from the University, Tori Lindsay noted, “more than 85 per cent of the cyclists in the study were identified as travelling straight on a single carriageway with the intention of continuing straight at the time of the crash. Drivers of vehicles, however, were more likely to be turning, with more than 64 per cent of all drivers undertaking a turn manoeuvre into or out of another roadway at the time of the crash.”

One component of new bike laws is the minimum safe passing distance when drivers overtake bike riders. This law has been introduced in Queensland as a trial and while it attracted criticism because of the difficulty to enforce it, cycling fatalities have dropped and it is widely acknowledged among advocates that the positive impact is the result of road user education and awareness.

The NSW bike laws allows motorists to cross double-lines to overtake a bike rider when it is safe, this exception for motorists provides certainty and confidence for motorists. To inform the community, the department of transport launched their Go Together campaign about the new bike laws which start today. However the campaign has been weighted mainly towards informing bike riders of the penalties, while the public information within the campaign about that minimum passing distances have been under-represented.

New Bike Laws Distract from Genuine Cycling Safety

In the 2015/16 budget shared between pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, the NSW committed $57 million dollars which is less that 1% of the entire $7.5 billion budget. This is a reduction of $12 million over the 2014/15 budget of $69 million shared between pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

As NSW Government reduce their investment in cycling infrastructure, but claim a growing commitment to improving cycling safety, it simply doesn’t add up; the Government they won’t provide facts to support the increase in fines and ID requirement, they are failing to inform drivers of the new minimum passing distance, and simultaneously they reduce investment in cycling infrastructure. Scepticism in the sincerity and motivation of the NSW Government in introducing the new bike laws is heightened following a police operation against cyclists five days ago.

The Australian Cycling Forum discussion thread on the new bike laws have generated over 1000 comments and participants have asked, if the new laws are good for cycling safety, why haven’t progressive cities and towns overseas who boast balanced and safer transport mix already adopted these.

]]>https://www.bicycles.net.au/2016/03/nsw-government-peddles-up-the-wrong-street-with-bike-laws/feed/3Talking cycling with NSW MP Bruce Notley-Smithhttps://www.bicycles.net.au/2015/08/talking-cycling-with-nsw-mp-bruce-notley-smith/
https://www.bicycles.net.au/2015/08/talking-cycling-with-nsw-mp-bruce-notley-smith/#commentsTue, 25 Aug 2015 22:57:23 +0000https://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=13809Bike registration. Rider licensing. Removing cycleways. Increasing fines for cyclists. Slaps on the wrist for dangerous drivers. If you trip over any of these concepts on a daily basis, then you probably live and cycle in New South Wales, home to the city of Sydney, the “world’s worst place for cyclists”. No, this article isn’t […]]]>

Bike registration. Rider licensing. Removing cycleways. Increasing fines for cyclists. Slaps on the wrist for dangerous drivers. If you trip over any of these concepts on a daily basis, then you probably live and cycle in New South Wales, home to the city of Sydney, the “world’s worst place for cyclists”. No, this article isn’t going to be another rant about driver behaviour, rather we (and by we, I mean BNA publisher Christopher Jones and myself) are documenting our first concrete steps into some bike advocacy. How are we doing this? We’re going to work “The System”.

Remember back in primary school when we were all taught about the way our democracy worked? In between colouring Malcolm Fraser’s hair green and drawing vampire fangs on Gough Whitlam, I’m sure the teacher said something about people electing politicians to represent them to make decisions and manage the country. That’s The System, and I cast my vote every few years like everyone else, but have no other direct contact with The System. Given the way cycling is heading in NSW, that had to change.

Bruce Notley-Smith was waiting on a call from NSW Premier Mike Baird, so he kept an eye on his phone, but despite this was very attentive to our questions and seemed free with his opinions for the hour he spoke with us. Bruce is a well presented, fit looking man in his early 50s; a former contract cleaner who became the Mayor of Randwick before moving into state politics and getting elected the member for the eastern suburbs seat of Coogee in 2011.

We approached Bruce for a chat because he made a speech in parliament about cyclists that made a lot of sense and, let’s face it, not much that has been said by politicians, both in and out of parliament, about cyclists has made a lot of sense lately. You can read the complete speech from the Hansard transcripts, but you can see what page he is on from this excerpt.

Legislative Assembly, 12 May 2015, Bruce Notley-Smith:“However, we should be providing for those who want to get on their bikes and commute into the CBD. I always scratch my head when I hear people complain about cyclists in front of them. If they stopped for a moment and visualised those five, six or 10 cyclists ahead of them as being cars instead of people on bikes, they would probably think again.”

From the horse’s mouth

I wanted to know the context of the remarks he made, especially given that they seemed to say the opposite of what his party colleagues are actually doing, and I also wanted to get some advice on how cyclists could get their voices heard. If we were going to work The System, an insider’s advice would be invaluable.

“Well, that wasn’t the first time I had spoken or written about cycling. Probably the first time in Parliament I’ve spoken about it…which is a terrible oversight really, because I’ve been a vocal advocate for cycling and cycleways in many other fora”, Bruce said when we interviewed him. “I was a cyclist when I was in my teens, in fact I spent more time on my bike than not and it was a fantastic form of transport, of freedom, and it also allowed me to explore my interests in historic places around the eastern suburbs.

“I got very excited once when they said they were putting in cycleways, it must have been in about 1981, along Anzac Parade and was very disappointed when it turned out to be just a bitumen path and not much more than that.

“I actually deliberately, a few years ago, went to Europe just to experience the cycling culture in some of the major centres there and frankly, why I spoke out a couple of weeks ago, was just this ridiculous conversation which is going on, it’s not even a conversation, in the media at the moment. More people with polarised positions shouting at one another, and I just want to make people aware that those that are in support of cycling, and those that are serious about it as a sport or as a means of commuting or as a recreational activity, a lot of them vote for me. And so I’ve got to stand up and represent them and let those in the parliament know that it’s not fringe dwellers in support of cycling; it’s mainstream and it will become more so in years to come.”

Alternative transport – who needs it?

At this point in the discussion, I felt that it was worthwhile pointing out to Bruce that I was one of the pasty-faced vegan socialists he mentioned in his speech; stereotypes may not always hold, though often there is grain of truth in them. Bruce seemed to be breaking the current political stereotype, at least when it comes to cyclists.

The discussion then turned towards transport infrastructure, which was one of the main topics on our agenda. Research on transport sustainability has repeatedly told us that improved infrastructure leads to more people cycling. Infrastructure, and changing driver’s attitudes, are where we think the government needs to begin making a serious effort.

Christopher and I both travelled on public transport to speak with Bruce. His office is a short walk from Bondi Junction train station and one of the things we both noticed on our stroll to the office was the number of bikes parked in the local CBD. The main plaza even has a dedicated bike lane through the middle of it. It reminded me of Premier Mike Baird’s electorate of Manly, which has a daily bike parking problem with racks overflowing near the station. We asked Bruce about his take on this.

“Each station should be a hub for cyclists; it makes sense. Putting in the infrastructure to ensure that people can get to those transport nodes to change modes is essential to getting there safely. You would get so many more people on their bikes if it didn’t require them to mingle with the traffic.”

So why, we asked, is there a disconnect between the government’s move to big car based infrastructure and the facilitating of multi-mode transport options?

“I don’t subscribe to the either/or idea with cars or public transport. I ran a business for 16 years which relied on cars. We were a contract cleaning business, and it meant that we had to get across the city in all directions as quickly as possible in order for it to be economically viable to stay in business. The motorways allowed us to do that, and it was actually still cheaper to use the tollways.

“We’ve got some major missing links in the motorway network in Sydney. In the peak hours they will reach capacity, and you’ll never build enough capacity for the peaks, nor should you try, but the fact is that the other 18 hours of the day they can accommodate the traffic demands.

“For industry to prosper, you do need a motorway network which allows business to be competitive. Businesses thrive, they pay taxes, and governments get more money to invest in public transport and more services that are required.”

But what about “Complete streets”? This is the approach to designing roads which support all modes of transport and which has been adopted in many parts of Europe and and some US and Canadian cities. In Sydney there is a huge contrast between the M7, for example, which has excellent and well used cycling facilities, and the M2, or M4, which are actively removing the cycling “facilities” that they once provided, and which were required in the original motorway plans. What is the government doing to make our roads multi-mode?

“Well, I can’t speak for the government, though my side of politics forms the government. I don’t speak for the minister, but this is something that I am certainly advocating for, and have been, with Duncan Gay [NSW Minister for Roads], and previously Gladys Berejiklian who was transport minister and now with Andrew Constance [Minister for Transport and Infrastructure], to make sure that cycling is not an afterthought in how we plan and build our future infrastructure.“

But how much power does a backbencher have to make a difference?

“Well, we have a party room, a joint party room [for the Nationals and Liberals, the state government is a coalition], and that’s where the backbench has their opportunity to get up and voice its opinion on any legislation that’s been proposed by the executive, but also to express their feelings on where the government might be going down the wrong path. The party room is a very powerful aspect of our system in NSW and so getting backbenchers on board is very important because, if a sudden epiphany strikes Duncan Gay and he turns up in the lycra and the clips and starts pushing the cycling agenda, it’s backbenchers whose electorates are going to be affected, and they’re going to want convincing.”

Hear me ROAR!

So how do we go about talking to the politicians and getting our points of view heard?

“It’s fairly easy. You can make contact with any parliamentarian, whether in the lower house or the upper house and request a meeting to spell out what your agenda is and what concerns you have with the government. With regards to getting a meeting with a minister, you can request that, spelling out what exactly you want to discuss.”

Wait a minute. That’s the way it’s meant to work, but does it really work that way?

“Seriously, that’s how it does work! That is, getting in to see members of parliament and, then at some stage during the week, you plonk yourself down with a minster and start chatting away.

“The most appropriate thing is to go to the local members, put your case to them, and they can then take that further up the line.”

One of the problems, as we see it, is that politicians aren’t going to lose a seat over cycling (well, maybe if they support it). Cyclists aren’t concentrated enough in any particular area to make up the numbers; we’re not a fixed demographic. Do we still have any power?

“I suppose one of the difficulties that people like yourself have is that you’re not a cohesive group and there are different peak bodies, and those peak bodies only appeal to a certain number of people or certain cyclists. There are cyclists who never come in contact with Bicycle NSW or Randwick-Botany Cycling Club and others have a whole different experience, so it’s difficult for you to be representative of the entire group.

“There’s so many issues that get taken to parliament which don’t win or lose seats, but are treated as equally as important. It’s really about educating your local politicians about what you actually want and laying out a reasoned argument as to why they should support you. There’s a lot of competing interests and a lot competition for politician’s time and headspace, so you’ve got to be in there and make it a powerful, but short, presentation and be very clear about what you’d like to see, and also what you realise is realistic and what’s not. So asking for things which are never going to, or not likely to, succeed only frustrates your case. Go for what you can conceivably and reasonably ask for.”

The lucky country, the obnoxious country

We asked Bruce what he sees as the biggest hurdles we need to overcome and how we might do that.

“I mentioned in my speech in parliament a couple of weeks ago that in NSW, mainly in Sydney but perhaps all over Australia, we do have a lack of mutual respect for anybody else that is on the road, whether it be another driver (we see them as just someone who is holding me up, or taking my car space) or that pedestrian who just almost got themselves killed for one reason or another. We’ve got to become a lot more respectful and cyclists are an easy target because, first of all, there’ a lot of them that don’t do the cause a great deal of good; like the couriers in the city that are just as big a curse to the pedestrians as they are to the motorists.

“So my feeling is that we’ve got to start emphasising that all of us have got to be a bit more respectful of one another in all the public spaces that we use, whether we’re pedestrians, whether we’re cyclists, whether we’re car/truck/bus drivers. We’ve all got to say that everybody else has a right too.

“When I was in Europe I saw two people in lycra out of the thousands of cyclists. The cyclists were dressed like I am, because they were all commuting to work. In Munich it just all seemed to mesh together so easily. I almost got myself killed a few times, because I didn’t realise I was walking on the bike path, but that’s where I noticed it the most; people had this courtesy and respect and awareness of what was going on around them with cyclists, with pedestrians, and the drivers, and it all just worked together so beautifully.

“We’ve really got to shift the culture in this city because it’s becoming less and less tolerable all of the time. One of the ways for the government to do this is through public campaigns, such as ‘The road is there to share’. There’s been some spectacularly successful public education campaigns which have really changed behaviour in Australia. ‘Do the right thing’, is the one I remember best from the late 70s, and into the 80s. It really turned people’s attitudes to littering on its head and it became totally socially unacceptable to be a litterer. We’ve got to have some campaigns where we educate all of our community that some sort of behaviours are completely unacceptable; abusing, driving in a reckless manner that could endanger cyclists, cyclists not to run red lights, and cyclists not to one minute be a cyclist and then swerve onto a pedestrian crossing and expect to be treated as a pedestrian.

“So we’ve all got to work on it. At the moment, with all of the talk in the media and politics where it’s just becoming more polarised, none of us are going to benefit from all of it. The reality is that cycling is going to increase and increase and increase, and you’re not going to reverse that tide. The floodgates are open, so people better start getting use to it.”

Pushing transport along

Christopher, a frequent visitor to Germany where he used to live, bought the discussion back to facilitating the mixed mode transport system. He compared public transport and cycling in Europe and related how he would have to catch a train, then a bus home after the interview, followed by a 4km uphill walk from the bus stop to his house because there is no other way to get there without car or a bike (and a fit rider).

“I’ve got my project – the light rail, the Eastern Suburbs Light Rail, that I’ve been advocating for years. It’s becoming a reality. It’s gong to remove a lot of on-street parking, and I’ve been smacked about for that. But the fact is that in congested areas on-street parking in many major cities is just not available. You don’t drive into central London expecting to get a parking spot.

“Every government, of every shade, even those that don’t form governments such as the Greens, they talk about increasing density because it’s more ecologically sustainable. When you’ve got people who don’t need to make long commutes, you get more bang for your buck with public transport. Whereas it’s just you [Christopher] walking home alone tonight, in more densely populated areas there’d be 50 people and that would justify putting a bus service on.

“For those that grew up on the quarter acre block, the whole idea of a congested, densely populated area seems frightening, and yet the fact is that people gravitate to them and enjoy the ambiance of having lots of people around doing all sorts of different things. The opportunities it provides you of just being able to say, “I’m not cooking tonight, let’s go down 12 floors below us and pick up a pizza”, or something like that. That’s where the city is going and we’ve got an extra 1.6 or 1.9 million people coming to the city in the next 15 years. We are going to have to accommodate them somewhere, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our green spaces, and the way that these people are going to be getting around will be on bikes, because that’s going to be the most sensible way to move around the inner city area.

“You have the longer trips by public transport, which we are improving. The light rail is going to revolutionise central Sydney, though the Telegraph at the moment is going hammer and tongs, but that doesn’t surprise me because my local paper has been going hammer and tongs against it for the last 3 years, so it’s the end of the world as we know it. But people are frightened of change. Australians love innovation, but they hate change. I want you to be innovative, and I love the new way of doing things, but I don’t want to change to it… it’s very conservative.”

Euro Cycles and Gazelle along with cycling industry representatives promoting cycling in Canberra

Throwing down the gauntlet

Our time was almost up with Bruce, so we left him with an invitation; if Bruce, or any of the state politicians really want to understand the plight of cyclists, the best way to do it is to become a cyclist, at least for a day. We invited Bruce and his colleagues to ride to or from Parliament House from anywhere in Sydney. We would accompany them on the bike, form up a group of experienced cyclists, and show them cycling in Sydney – the good and the bad.

Bruce thanked us, but hasn’t taken us up on the offer yet. But it is a marvellous idea and both Gazelle and Euro Cycles (with Gepida and Peugeot) have embraced this notion and will loan a regular bike or an e-bike to our state politicians to experience Sydney by bike. We are preparing this program so stay tuned!

Christopher and I would like to thank Bruce for taking his valuable time to talk to us seriously about cycling in New South Wales.

Disclosure: Christopher Jones is a member of the Australian Cyclists Party and David Halfpenny is a member of the Socialist Equality Party

]]>https://www.bicycles.net.au/2015/08/talking-cycling-with-nsw-mp-bruce-notley-smith/feed/1Cycling on Australian Roads – Report by Sjors van Duren from Hollandhttps://www.bicycles.net.au/2014/10/cycling-australian-roads-report-hollander-sjors-van-duren/
https://www.bicycles.net.au/2014/10/cycling-australian-roads-report-hollander-sjors-van-duren/#commentsThu, 30 Oct 2014 23:52:39 +0000https://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=12567Next to Denmark and its capital Copenhagen, Holland is the other international poster-child for best-practice cycling infrastructure and participation. In Holland, 27% of all trips are made by bike. While the local culture and history is favorable for cycling in these countries, they still demonstrate the possibilities for modern transport solutions in our left-in-the-dark New […]]]>

Next to Denmark and its capital Copenhagen, Holland is the other international poster-child for best-practice cycling infrastructure and participation. In Holland, 27% of all trips are made by bike. While the local culture and history is favorable for cycling in these countries, they still demonstrate the possibilities for modern transport solutions in our left-in-the-dark New World countries.

Holland is generous in sharing its experience of cycling infrastructure and integration and supported a study tour of Australian ‘influentials’ in September who visited cities and regions in The Netherlands, including the Arnhem-Nijmegen City Region in the east of the country, bordering Germany. This is also the home of Sjors van Duren, a project manager involved in many of the cycling infrastructure projects for the region. He is also part of the Dutch Cycling Embassy, a collection of experts who facilitate knowledge transfer.

The dedicated cycling route connects Arnhem and Nijmegen and has its own branding

Lighting and wayfinding system for the Rijnwaalpad route is consistent with the branding

I met Sjors in Adelaide in May during the Velo-City Global conference in Adelaide. Sjors presented on the ‘futuristic’ cycle infrastructure projects from his region and commented on the role of cycling in society, “I think that having a sense of place helps building communities and social cohesion” says Sjors. “Cycling does fit very well within those goals. This in contradiction to approaching cycling as ‘just’ a mode of transportation.”

The Australian Road Report

Curious about his impression of Australian cycling infrastructure, I followed up with Sjors once he returned home to understand where Australia is going right… and wrong. Sjors travelled 5,500km through Australia, visiting cities and regional areas in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queenland during his visit and he shares with us his observations of Australian roads.

Roundabouts provide very convenient ‘desire lines’ for cars going straight aheadYou don’t have to slow down as a car driver. (Dangerous). Roundabouts in the Netherlands are designed so that ANY car has to slow down passing the roundabout, reducing speeds and reducing the impact of crashes. Additionally, it provides more opportunities for NMT (Non Motorized Transport) to cross the roundabout. In the center of Byron Bay I noticed that pedestrian were asked to cross in groups. It is a very dense and very pedestrian-heavy environment, but still, priority for cars.

Speed limits are very high in urban environments
60km/h feels very fast, even in a car, let alone when walking or cycling through urban environment. Same goes for 40km/h on small side streets.

Recent urban planning projects discourage the utilitarian use of bicycles
Large suburban shopping malls are being developed. Best (or worst) example of this is the new shopping centre in Emerald; it has made the former Main Street feel ‘dead’. It is out of the city, with no (Cycling) facilities to go there.

Poorly connectability of highways
Recent construction of highways in urban environments which were poorly attached to the existing network, thereby providing limited improvements in travel times. An example are the road tunnels in Brisbane & Sydney.

Brisbane cycling infrastrure – The good and the bad
I loved the cycle way alongside the Brisbane river. One of the best examples of cycling infrastructure I’ve seen in the world! But that same cycle way isn’t connected to a coherent cycling network, which prevents non-lycra people from utilitarian cycling to/from the city. The units which were built in Queensland to prevent cars from entering cycle paths (yellow steel bars which curve towards each other) are very dangerous and encourage head-on collisions.

Converting Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s super-highways
The road lay-out in Brisbane was very, very spatious! There is a lot of room available to do a ‘road diet’ and implement separated cycling lanes. Many roads with a speed limit of 60km/h look like they’re designed for 8okm/h or higher (which encourages speeding). Applying a road diet increases traffic safety, for cars and bikes, and decreases the barrier function of a (main) road. It might even create space to provide (green) public spaces.

Contrast: Cycle transport is a worthwhile inventment

Foster public spaces in Australia
I noticed that when cycling from the Adelaide CBD towards the ocean, the public space in Australia is very well kept. This is a main advantage and difference from the US., and very important for the (perceived) feeling of safety for cyclists.

If you have visited and ridden in Europe, there are still cars. Motor vehicles play an import transportation role, but when cycling is a convenient option, along with public transport or other mobility solutions, it reduces congestion and makes cities and regions more livable. Intelligent cycling infrastructure is not the burden that politicians, decision makers, tabloids, and shock-jocks think it is.

]]>https://www.bicycles.net.au/2014/10/cycling-australian-roads-report-hollander-sjors-van-duren/feed/3Interview with Omar of The Australian Cyclists Partyhttps://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/10/interview-omar-khalifa-australian-cyclists-party/
https://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/10/interview-omar-khalifa-australian-cyclists-party/#commentsTue, 29 Oct 2013 00:41:06 +0000https://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=9429It has been the hottest topic in Australian Cycling for the past few week as the new political party seeks to attract members in order to become official and take part in the 2015 NSW and Victorian state elections. With the launch a number of debates have started about the purpose, validity and policies including […]]]>

It has been the hottest topic in Australian Cycling for the past few week as the new political party seeks to attract members in order to become official and take part in the 2015 NSW and Victorian state elections. With the launch a number of debates have started about the purpose, validity and policies including the dreaded Mandatory Helmet Laws (MHL) debate. Party founder, Omar Khalifa has agreed to respond to some of the tough questions that have been raised by cyclists in the Australian Cycling Forums on BNA.

BNA: How can the Australian Cyclists Party help cycling considering existing cycling advocacy groups and existing government cycling initiatives?

Omar Khalifa: We can make sure that we can have someone in government to act on advocacy positions. To make changes or add amendments that look after the issues that affect cyclists. No advocacy group can do that without working with someone interested in government. It may not take much for someone in government to make a big difference for those who don’t usually get a look in.

I do recognise that some improvements have been made in some areas and in some large cities in particular. But most cyclists don’t see the benefits of these and the progress is often slow and reversible. Often grand plans are under-resourced and instead of championing the issues internally many times this is left to members of the community to fight for time and again through submissions or petitions and rallies. I have been involved in a number of these as CEO of Bicycle NSW and know how exhausting and disappointing the outcomes can be at the end of long and time consuming processes.

BNA: Existing state and community cycling organisations who advocate for cycling are often unable or unwilling to align themselves with political parties, how does this affect the ability of the Australian Cyclists Party gather cyclist support?

Omar Khalifa: As much as we would like the full endorsement of all cycling organisations, we understand this is not possible and can live with that. Several have already said they welcome another voice in support of cycling – that’s fair enough endorsement for us. Much the same thing is happening with Bicycle User Groups and cycling clubs. Some are taking a stronger endorsement stand. I think cyclists will make up their own minds and consider whether this is an opportunity worth backing?

BNA: Political parties for cycling haven’t taken off internationally – often cycling issues are represented by the green parties internationally – what makes Australia different?

Omar Khalifa: Australia seems to be stuck in a bit of a time warp when it comes to cycling policies. Despite the growth in cyclist numbers the politicians have been slow to respond. Too often it has only been seen as a greens issue, whereas I think the majority of cyclists don’t see it as such any longer and many of our current supporters would have different political or ideological alignments.

In a number of countries no party would ignore cycling and in others it has attracted a concerted multi-party support base. Here the major parties appear to see the issue as a marginal one and can be largely ignored and have done so for decades. Some even use anti-cycling rhetoric to rile up their supporters. Perhaps that is all about to change.

BNA: When the Prime Minister Tony Abbott won the election he responded to a media question stating he will begin his first day with a bike ride. Is there any influence or positive benefit for Australia with a Prime Minister who cycles?

Omar Khalifa: It should be a great thing to have a cycling PM, but he has yet to make any statements to support cycling for the rest of us. I think our Prime Minister, by following the example of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, could make improving cycling in this country a centerpiece of his government rather than a centerpiece of his day. His personal commitment could work wonders.

BNA: The Party has been accepting new members for about about three weeks – does the response from the cycling community and the media coverage provide any suggestions as to the success of the political party? Can you share the current member numbers?

Omar Khalifa: Our support through new members has been amazing! I had no reason to expect the support we received so quickly. The media has been helpful in general though a few are still stuck seeing this as a “micro party” legitimacy issue because of the success of the Motoring Enthusiasts or some grand conspiracy by a political lobbyist.

The support is very broad-based attracting people of all ages and professions. We have over 1,000 members from across Australia. Those who want to follow our progress can do so by signing up to our Facebook or Twitter accounts through icycleivote.com

BNA: The party aims to contest in the next New South Wales and Victorian State elections, what would be your vision for success in these elections?

Omar Khalifa:We have our own benchmarks, but would aim to secure at least one Upper House seat in each. It is a very tall order but if we can make a good showing in Victoria even without winning a seat, then we stand a chance in NSW as well. If successful, the other states will then be in play too though different approaches may be taken in each. There is certainly interest brewing in all states and territories. That’s the aspiration, but let’s keep perspective, we need to have enough members in both Victoria and NSW to qualify for being on the ballot or we go no further.

BNA: The Australian Cyclists Party had its first public engagement at Ausbike in Melbourne and a week later was at the Sydney Bike Show, what kind of reception did you get from the public?

Ausbike in Melbourne was our “toe-in-the-water” low-key debut – just a couple of supportive BUG members from the Melbourne area, a website, an iPad and a poster. That’s it. I had lots of prior private discussions with knowledgeable cycling advocates but no prior publicity or press release of our launch. Nevertheless, the reaction was so positive with those that attended the show that it really made us feel that we were onto something that had broad appeal. Numbers grew on the back of a couple of articles but we were still taken by surprise by the numbers at the Sydney show where over 250 signed up over two days! Now we knew we really were in with a chance.

BNA: Who is behind the party and what are their roles? Are there any leaders yet?

I am the founder and we have a list of the people working on our committee on our website. We act as a team and split up activities based on skills and time available. None of us are paid for our work, and modest contributions have helped offset some initial travel and printing costs. I would venture that everyone working on this are doing it because they feel so passionately that much more must be done and that this may be our best opportunity to change things. I have nothing but admiration for them jumping in to help make a go of this.

BNA: Within the cycling community, Mandatory Helmet Laws (MHL) is a controversial topic and your communications suggests that a party policy direction will not be created for MHL – how do you respond to comments that this is very much a cycling issue and that the party needs a formal view if they are to represent cyclists?

Omar Khalifa: Well, we don’t and we won’t. It is such divisive issue even in the cycling community that we see nothing good coming from taking an unequivocal stand on it. Leaders of the anti-MHL side like Chris Rissel has clearly indicated on our Facebook page that it was better we stay united on having a voice than to force a split that leaves nobody further advanced. Other respected leaders in cycling have echoed this view.

If some people feel so strongly about this one issue, then I understand if they would prefer to not support us and continue to pursue other avenues that they believe may be more effective.

BNA: As with any new idea – there is always criticism, some justified and some not. Which criticism has the party received that you feel is justified and are these able to be resolved or answered – likewise do you see important cycling issues that can’t be answered or addressed by the party?

Omar Khalifa: We simply started out asking the questions as to whether people were satisfied with the current state of cycling and whether having a representative in government may help? A few people who have not welcomed our entry have asked us for our detailed position on every issue of today as though this was the starting point. It can’t be. As with any party before us, we find the constituency that can get behind the issues that are most important to them. We will work from there.

If we become an official party we will begin to flesh out our position on issues we believe our members feel most strongly about prior to the election. Let’s keep in mind that even the major parties with all of the resources at their disposal will not spell out exactly what all of their policies are. Ultimately, the electorate can decide if they agree with what we do commit to and the quality of our candidate when they next go to the polls. There’s time for that.

BNA: The party constitution is a hot topic and I understand that when the party is able to formalise then this will be addressed and created to represent the views of the members. Is this correct and do you have a prognosis as to when a constitution or policy document can be published.

Our aim is certainly to use all of the community tools we can to keep everyone who wants to be engaged in the process, however, we also need to learn from the pitfalls faced by other parties and take steps to ensure we don’t fracture and factionalise. I believe our members expect that the ACP will set a reasonable and pragmatic course and to get on with the job of getting things done. It is what we should expect from any party and any representative.

We will have a constitution soon – it has to be looked at on a state by state basis to accommodate different electoral requirements in each state. Our committee will oversee this process. The constitution(s) will be published on our site when ready and submitted as part of the application to qualify to be on the ballot.

Disclaimer – Bicycles Network Australia is not aligned with the Australian Cyclists Party. The author (Christopher Jones) has applied to become a party member and is conscious that this article on Bicycles Network Australia represents fair coverage of topical cycling news and is not providing an endorsement or recommendation.

]]>https://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/10/interview-omar-khalifa-australian-cyclists-party/feed/1Expert Round Table – Buying an E-Bike Part 3https://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/05/expert-table-buying-e-bike-part-3/
https://www.bicycles.net.au/2013/05/expert-table-buying-e-bike-part-3/#commentsWed, 29 May 2013 06:15:34 +0000https://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=8164In France in 2012, the e-bike segment of the bike market was the only segment to see any growth, and that growth was around 15% over the previous year. Germany showed surprisingly similar numbers for e-bike growth. Market research predicts that e-bike sales world-wide will come close to 500 million between 2010 and 2016. What all of […]]]>

In France in 2012, the e-bike segment of the bike market was the only segment to see any growth, and that growth was around 15% over the previous year. Germany showed surprisingly similar numbers for e-bike growth. Market research predicts that e-bike sales world-wide will come close to 500 million between 2010 and 2016. What all of this adds up to is a major boom in e-bike production and sales in Europe and Asia, but what about Australia? We’re far away from cycling inclusive cultures on our little island and we don’t have the population in the whole country that some major overseas cities have. What is the e-bike culture really like in Australia, and how can we improve it? As in Part 1 and Part 2 of this e-bike Round Table series, we asked our expert panel for their opinions.

The complete e-bike buyers guide is also available as an App for iPad for free.Visit iTunes to view and download the e-bike buyers guide.

BNA: At the moment, who are your e-bike customers? What types of e-bikes are selling, and who are you selling them to? Why are they buying them?

Martin@MREBikes: Locally our brands are being purchased by a broad age group. Globally the trend is baby boomers, skewed female.

Maurice@GlowWorm: We’re in an area with a lot of commuting cyclists, so many of our customers are buying e-bikes to ride to work. The reasons for wanting to be on a bicycle are well known – exercise, fresh air, fun, cheap, convenient and the electric assist has made it more practical for many people as you can go a little quicker, wear what you want and not be put off by hills. Another big segment for us are families carrying young kids around – many people become car-bound once they have kids and they really miss the freedom and fun of a bike. Again, you could do this on a non-powered bike, but the assist makes it easier to carry loads and children around.

Luke@EBikeCentral: We have all sorts of customers these days, but the most popular demographic would be both men and women between 45 and 70. We mainly sell European style commuting bikes and folding bikes. Step throughs are always more popular.

Paul@Gazelle: Our main selling e-bike is the Gazelle Orange Plus XT. It is a classic Dutch City bike with an extra high power motor for hills. ‘Non cyclist’ (i.e. car drivers/regular people) types of people are our typical customer. People who are not so much interested in bikes, but rather a more sensible way to move in their local neighbourhood. Why are they buying them? They are buying the bike as a car replacement, mostly for shorter trips.

George@ReefBikes: The market demographics include people that love getting out on a bike but can’t last the distance, people that need help getting up hills, and being able to feel free again, not worrying about getting worn out. Also, people that want to ride to work, commute hassle free, zipping through peak hour traffic, without breaking a sweat when arriving at work, and getting there faster than a regular bicycle. Eco friendly, no emissions alternative method of transport, no costly drivers license, rego, or petrol needed.

All types are selling, from 700C road commuting bicycles, mountain e-bikes for fun, and folding e-bikes for travelers.

BNA: Who should be buying e-bikes? What is the gap in the e-bike market and how do you think it can be plugged (pun unintended)?

Martin@MREBikes: e-Bikes offer different advantages to different people. As the products develop, so will the demographics. I think a big gap in the e-bike market is the reluctance for traditional bike shops to offer the product. They are missing out on a new untapped customer base.

Maurice@GlowWorm: Anyone who wants to leave the house from time to time should consider using an electric bicycle. It’s just another way to get around and almost everyone has some trips that could be done more happily for them and their community by electric bicycle that they’re currently doing another way.

I think the gap in the e-bike market at the moment is awareness among the public that e-bikes are for them. There seems to be a general assumption that e-bikes are for a particular type of person, but once people test ride them and talk to friends who are using them, that starts to change and that’s what I’m looking forward to.

E-Bikes are convenient, though many people are unaware of the potential

Luke@EBikeCentral: If you commute alone, and only commute between 10 to 25 km, I think an e-bike would be ideal. There are endless reasons why people should buy electric bikes.

I think more than ever there is a great variety of e-bikes in Australia. Maybe as technology gets better and more brands appear the prices will come down making the e-bike more of a household item.

PowerPed leisure bikes available in Australia through E-Bike Central

George@ReefBikes: It’s not about “should”, anyone should buy an e-bike because they want one. It gives you the option to ride as a regular bicycle too, so it’s like buying a regular bicycle, with the added option of switching on electric if you want to.

I think the major gap is the price; an average normal bicycle is about $500, so anyone can afford one. Average electric bicycle cost is about $2000. So I think those numbers speak for themselves. If electric bikes could be made to sell under $500, then you would see a million of them sold. But that’s not going to happen, because quality electric parts are worth more than that.

We have seen a huge boom in the market from about 2 years ago. Back then, a lot of people didn’t really know what an electric bike actually was, but now a new market has emerged, and most Australians know what an electric bike is. There has been huge interest for those people that just don’t have what it takes to ride a regular bicycle, but they still want to get out on a bike, have fun, exercise at their own pace, and go longer distances, faster with less effort.

Paul@Gazelle: Anyone who does car trips of less than 10km (i.e. everybody). Anybody who likes riding bikes but is put off by the hills. I think there is a good mix of product on the market now to satisfy most requirements.

BNA: How does Australia compare to the rest of the world in terms of e-bike usage and culture?

Maurice@GlowWorm: In most markets, e-bike usage reflects bicycle usage in terms of numbers. This is basically because if there is good, safe bicycle infrastructure, then there is good, safe e-bike infrastructure, which is crucial to bike usage becoming mainstream.

Therefore, you’d have to concede that at least at this point in time, e-bike usage in Australia is very low compared to many other places because bicycle usage in Australia is very low. Sport cycling in Australia is relatively strong but they’re not typically the target market for e-bikes.

If I may generalise, I would make a distinction between those places that have strong city cycling infrastructure and those that don’t. Those that do tend to sell e-bikes through bicycle shops and market them as a bicycle with advantages for those who want a bit of help. They’re unlikely to focus on the things we’ve been talking about in previous questions, such as saving money on petrol, not getting stuck in traffic, getting there quicker etc., because all these things are obvious and, if you already ride a bike and are switching to an e-bike, you’re not going to save any money on petrol or park any easier than before. I’d include Japan, the Netherlands and most of Germany in these countries and they’re also the highest users of e-bikes among developed countries.

Cycling infrastructue in Australia is a comparatively new concept

The countries where cycling isn’t a big part of the city transport mix tend to sell e-bikes through specialised electric bike shops that aren’t part of the traditional bicycle industry. They use the selling points above about the advantages of bicycle travel (powered or otherwise) over car travel as their main pitch, and in some cases the advantage of e-bike travel over non-powered bicycle travel such as not arriving to work sweaty etc.

You could go into the many reasons why the e-bikes aren’t selling through bike shops in these countries, but a big factor is that with so few city riders, there aren’t very many suitable bicycle shops to cater to electric bicycles, and it’s hard for a sports cycling shop to understand and effectively sell electric bicycles.

Australia is definitely in the second category, and while that means our immediate market is small compared to our population, it also makes it’s a really exciting place to sell an electric bicycle as so many customers are just over the moon – they’re rediscovering the bicycle in their adult life, they’re seeing their city for the first time even after living in it for decades, and they’re getting regular exercise again. We’re often told with all earnestness that the e-bike was the best thing they’d ever bought (and Australians buy a lot of stuff!). Interestingly enough, saving money on petrol and parking is quite far from their minds after the sale – they’re mainly happy with the freedom and fun that the bike has brought them, not the financial gains.

Luke@EBikeCentral: I would agree with everything Maurice has said. I haven’t yet had the chance to experience e-bike culture outside of Australia. One day!

Cycling in many European cities is integrated in society

Martin@MREBikes: Australia is a long way behind Europe, and to a lesser extent the US, in e-bike usage and culture. As Maurice has noted, therein lies the opportunity. There is substantial investment occurring in e-bike technology by the major brands. This can only be a good for product quality and innovation.

e-Bikes are still regarded as a niche product in Australia. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a recent article in Bike Europe states that 1 in 8 bikes sold in the Netherlands is an e-bike!

George@ReefBikes: Australia does have an increase bicycle culture, as councils have been extending bike paths and infrastructure for our population to get onto bikes more. Australia’s population however is very small compared to other countries, such as the USA, China, Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries, so the cycling culture is only small in comparison, and therefore the electric bicycle sub-culture is in turn even smaller. European countries have had bicycling as a tradition embedded in their culture for over a hundred years, where as most cities in Australia have not been built up with bicycles in mind, until recent efforts in changing that. So Australia is way behind in cycling culture in general. Electric bicycle usage follows as a percentage of regular bicycle usage.

The good parts of the electric bicycle market in the USA is that they are not limited as much as we are, the USA can use 350W motors on roads with hand twist throttles, really giving the rider a load of power and acceleration, which would be useful in commuting.

The bad parts in Europe, they are only allowed a 250W motor, and they are not allowed a hand twist throttle, which means riders have to pedal at all times. If they don’t pedal, they don’t move. This forces riders to keep pedaling as a regular bicycle, and does not let them use it as a motorised ride without pedaling.

BNA: What can be done immediately, and also in the next 5 years, to change the e-bike culture in Australia?

Maurice@GlowWorm: Safe cycling infrastructure is the key for me.

Martin@MREBike: Better infrastructure and more publicity.

The barriers to cycle drop with improved cycling infrastructure and transport routes

George@ReefBikes: There has been good progress from the major Australian cities in the past 3 years to introduce more cycling infrastructure, bike paths and public awareness in general. For e-bikes in particular, bicycle stores have to become more educated and trained in fixing and replacing the electrical parts. Particularly, they should be trained in troubleshooting and solving a problem, which is, most of the time, something very simple. Bicycle shops are the ones actually dealing with the public, so they are at the front of promoting e-bikes and awareness of e-bikes. I’d also love to see city councils install auto e-bike rental machine systems, as seen in Europe.

Paris public e-bike hire scheme

Luke@EBikeCentral: I think the e-bike industry is on the right track at the moment. The market is growing more than ever. More and more companies are investing in e-bike technology, for example: Sram, Bosch and so on. Dedicated e-bike stores are popping up around Australia. With all this hype and exposure, the e-bike culture in Australia is bound to take off. It’s now up to government and local councils to help change the infrastructure for bikes. Most e-bike customers I talk to are scared of riding on the roads for many reasons. Australia needs to encourage people to ride. What better way to do that than to build a series of safe bike lanes and bike paths. As long as they’re not tolled!

Paul@Gazelle: The best way to promote electric bikes will be the development of a professional network of e-bike dealers. This phenomenon is starting to take shape now and will continue to improve rapidly over the coming years. Within 5 years we foresee many more e-bike specific retailers, and traditional bike shops will be involved to a much bigger degree than they are today.

As has been discussed before in previous questions, any improvements in cycling infrastructure is directly tied in with e-bike sales. I often tell people that trying to sell a city e-bike in Australia is like trying to sell a car without a road. You only sell normal city cars when you have a road network that links your home, shops, work and leisure destinations.